Vietnam monitors health of 45,000 people from MERS-hit countries

The Steering Committee for Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases under the Ministry of Health (MOH) held a meeting to evaluate the prevention efforts of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) caused by the MERS-coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
 

Health officials check the body temperature of passengers arriving at Da Nang International Airport. (Image credit: VOV)

At the meeting, the MOH confirmed that Vietnam so far has not recorded any cases of MERS-CoV infection, however the risk of the deadly disease spreading is of real concern as the country has extensive trade exchanges and tourism activities with MERS-hit countries.

The health sector has tested 65 samples of people suffering from fever who traveled from MERS outbreak areas to Vietnam and those with acute respiratory symptoms. All samples returned negative results for MERS-CoV. Related authorities are monitoring the health of 45,000 people entering Vietnam from epidemic areas for 14 days upon their arrival. According to the General Department of Preventive Medicine, MERS-CoV patients have been detected in Thailand yet the disease has been well controlled in the country, therefore Vietnam has not required health declarations for passengers arriving from Thailand.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said that people with symptoms of the disease have promptly been examined at medical facilities, indicating the overall success of communication campaigns on the danger of MERS-CoV.

Vietnam has sufficient diagnostic capabilities to identify MERS-CoV, with eight hospitals and institutes capable of MERS-CoV screening tests, she affirmed.

Minister Tien requested relevant agencies to continue implementing health declaration at international border gates, using proprietary software to store information, monitoring the health condition of passengers returning from overseas trips. She stressed the importance of surveillance of cases of acute respiratory infection of unknown causes, especially those with a history of travelling during MERS outbreak.

The same day, the MOH organised a training course for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of MERS-CoV for more than 300 health workers in 15 provinces and cities as well as more than 20 central and private hospitals in Hanoi.

This is the 3rd among five workshops organised by the MOH to improve knowledge and capacity for hospitals nationwide on MERS-CoV infection. In early July, two workshops will be held in Da Nang and Can Tho.

(Source: nhandan.org.vn)